Oregon 2016 ballot measures
Seven measures were certified to appear on the Oregon ballot on November 8, 2016. Five measures were approved, and two were defeated.
Measure 94 was rejected. It would have repealed the mandatory judicial retirement age, which was set at 75 years old.
Measure 95 was approved. It allowed public state universities to invest in equities.
Measure 96 was approved. The measure devoted 1.5 percent of state lottery net proceeds toward veterans' services.
Measure 97 would have raised corporate taxes on businesses with annual sales that exceed $25 million. It was defeated.
Measure 98 was approved. It required state funding for dropout-prevention and career and college readiness programs in Oregon high schools.
Measure 99 created an "Outdoor School Education Fund," sourced from state lottery proceeds, to support outdoor school programs. It was approved.
Measure 100 prohibited the sale of products from and parts of 12 species of endangered animals. It was approved.
Citizens of Oregon may initiate legislation as either a state statute or a constitutional amendment. In Oregon, citizens also have the power to repeal legislation via veto referendum. The Oregon State Legislature may also place measures on the ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments or legislatively referred state statutes with a majority vote of each chamber.
At least 82 initiatives were filed for potential spots on the 2016 ballot. Some of these were repeat filings of the same or similar initiatives. In order to place measures on the ballot in 2016, citizens had to submit the required number of signatures by the prescribed deadlines. The deadline for initiated state statutes and initiated constitutional amendments was July 8, 2016. For referendums, signatures needed to be submitted no later than 90 days after the final adjournment of the legislature at which the targeted law was approved. At least 88,184 valid signatures were required for state statutes; 58,789 signatures were required for referendums; and at least 117,578 signatures were required for constitutional amendments.
The 2016 legislative session ran from February 1 through March 1, 2016, during which time the Oregon State Legislature could place legislative referrals on the ballot.
Historical facts
- A total of 175 measures appeared on statewide ballots from 1996 to 2016.
- Between 1996 and 2016, an average of 12 measures appeared on the ballot in Oregon.
- The number of measures appearing on statewide ballots between 1996 and 2016 ranged from two to 32.
- Between 1996 and 2016, about 47 percent (83 of 175) of statewide ballots were approved by voters, and about 53 percent (92 of 175) were defeated. One measure was approved by voters but subsequently overturned by the courts.
On the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Measure 94 | Judiciary | Repeal the judicial retirement age for state court judges | |
| LRCA | Measure 95 | Budget | Allow public state universities to invest in equities | |
| LRCA | Measure 96 | Lottery | Devote 1.5 percent of state lottery net proceeds to veteran services | |
| CISS | Measure 97 | Taxes | Increase taxes on businesses with annual sales over $25 million | |
| CISS | Measure 98 | Education | Require state funding for dropout prevention | |
| CISS | Measure 99 | Lottery | Create an "Outdoor School Education Fund" | |
| CISS | Measure 100 | Animals | Prohibit the sale of products from 12 species of endangered animals |
Summary of campaign spending
The following chart illustrates how much support and opposition committees amassed in campaign contributions for each measure:
Cost per required signatures
- See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2016
The cost per required signatures (CPRS) is a comparison of the amount of money spent on the petition drive to the number of signatures the state requires for an initiative to make the ballot. Of the four initiatives on the ballot, the CPRS was the highest for Measure 99.
| Ballot Measure: | Topic: | Petition company | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Measure 99 | Lottery | FieldWorks, LLC | $595,599.54 | 88,184 | $6.75 |
| Oregon Measure 97 | Taxes | Our Oregon[1] | $110,244.00 | 88,184 | $1.25 |
| Oregon Measure 98 | Education | Direct Action Partners Inc. | $158,786.01 | 88,184 | $1.80 |
| Oregon Measure 100 | Treatment of animals | FieldWorks LLC and Defend Oregon | $367,060.00 | 88,184 | $4.16 |
| Averages: | N/A | Direct Action Partners Inc. | $307,922.39 | N/A | $3.49 |
Not on the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CISS | Fossil Fuel Expansion Ban Initiative (Petition #1) | Energy | Bans the expansion of infrastructure related to fossil fuel production and distribution | 
|
| CISS | Consumer Packaging Initiative (Petition #2) | Business | Mandates consumer packaging be either compostable or refundable |
|
| CICA | Lottery Proceeds for Veterans' Services Amendment (Petition #3) | Lottery | Requires 5 percent of lottery proceeds be distributed to finance veterans' services |
|
| CICA | County Distribution of Lottery Proceeds Amendment (Petition #4) | Lottery | Distributes 50 percent of lottery proceeds to counties |
|
| CISS | Trapping Ban Initiative (Petition #5) | Hunt & Fish | Places restrictions on the use of different types of trapping practices used in hunting |
|
| CICA | Estate Tax Ban Amendment (Petition #7) | Taxes | Prohibits state or local governments from imposing estate taxes on property gifts within families |
|
| CISS | Powers of Metropolitan Service District Initiative (Petition #8) | Local Gov't | Eliminates district's authority to manage urban grown, coordinate land use, establish urban and rural reserves, and enforce air and water quality rules |
|
| CISS | Lethal Force Against Pets Initiative (Petition #9) | Animals | Imposes stricter limits as to when lethal force may be used against a pet, working animal, or service animal |
|
| CISS | Maximum Allowable Charge for Healthcare Initiative (Petition #11) | Healthcare | Defines Maximum Allowable Charge for healthcare services and makes it unlawful to charge above it |
|
| CISS | Universal Background Checks Initiative (Petition #16) | Firearms | Requires background checks for all firearms sales and transfers |
|
| CICA | Protect Hunting and Fishing Amendment (Petition # 19) | Hunt & fish | Protects the right of the people to hunt and fish |
|
| CISS | $15 Minimum Wage Initiative (Petition #41) | Minimum wage | Increases the state's hourly minimum wage to $15 |
|
| CICA | "Healthcare is a Human Right" Initiative (Petition #42) | Healthcare | Creates a constitutional human right to healthcare |
|
| CICA | Affordable Access to Healthcare Initiative (Petition #43) | Healthcare | Requires the legislature to guarantee that everyone has access to healthcare |
|
| CICA | Universal Healthcare Initiative (Petition #44) | Healthcare | Requires the legislature to adopt a system of universal healthcare |
|
| CICA | Declaration of Emergencies Initiative (Petition #49) | Legislature | Requires a two-thirds vote of the legislature to declare an emergency |
|
| CISS | Voter Privacy Initiative (Petition #50) | Elections | Prohibits the release of private voter information |
|
| CISS | Raise the Wage Oregon Initiative (Petitions #57, #58, #59) | Minimum wage | Three versions of the measure that either allow cities to enact higher minimum wages than the state's or raise the minimum wage to $13.50 within a few years |
|
| CISS | Privatization of Liquor Sales Initiative (Petition #71) | Alcohol | Privatizes liquor sales, allows retail stores to sell liquor, prohibits state-controlled liquor sales, eliminates state alcohol tax revenue |
|
| LRCA | Gubernatorial Impeachment Amendment | State Exec | Establishes procedures for impeaching the governor |
|
See also
- 2016 ballot measures
- List of Oregon ballot measures
- History of Initiative & Referendum in Oregon
- Oregon signature requirements
Additional reading
External links
- Oregon Initiative, Referendum and Referral Search
- Oregon 2016 Voters' Pamphlet
- League of Women Voters of Oregon 2016 Ballot Measures Guide
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- ↑ Our Oregon was paid $40,000 to collect signatures. The remaining $70,244 in signature gathering services were in-kind contributions by Our Oregon.